The Wests Tigers were anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder yet again in 2024, but positives signs may finally be on the horizon as Benji Marshall prepares for his second season as head coach.
The first year in charge for Marshall couldn't bring a change in fortunes, but there will be hope at the joint-venture that 2025, and a subsequent run of recruitment for 2026, can finally steer the Tigers back in the right direction.
The club hasn't played finals in a decade, and while that will be the ultimate goal, any improvement at this stage will be taken as a win for the long-suffering fans.
Squad upgrades for 2025 should get the ball rolling in the right direction, but there is certainly more the joint-venture will be looking to do in the upcoming recruitment window to supplement the enormous amount of young talent coming through the ranks.
Money is not likelty to be an issue for Benji Marshall, who can make a full scale raid on the transfer market with the spots he has left, and few questions over which off-contract players need to be re-signed.
We will run the rule over all 17 clubs on Zero Tackle as the 2026 recruitment period gets underway to determine who their top targets are. Today, the Tigers…
Current 2026 Wests Tigers squad
John Bateman, Jack Bird, Jahream Bula, Tallyn Da Silva, Latu Fainu, Samuela Fainu, Lachlan Galvin, Royce Hunt, Apisai Koroisau, Kit Laulilii, Luke Laulilii, Jarome Luai, Justin Olam, Solomone Saukuru, Jeral Skelton, Jayden Sullivan, Starford To'a, Sunia Turuva, Alex Twal, Heamasi Makasini, Jordan Miller
Off-contract at end of 2025
Adam Doueihi, Chris Faagutu, Josh Feledy, Justin Matamua, Brent Naden, Fonua Pole, Alex Seyfarth, Charlie Staines, Tony Sukkar (club option), Brandon Tumeth
Current best 17 for 2026
1. Jahream Bula
2. Jeral Skelton
3. Luke Laulilii
4. Justin Olam
5. Sunia Turuva
6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Jarome Luai
8. Alex Twal
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. Royce Hunt
11. John Bateman
12. Samuela Fainu
13. Jack Bird
Interchange
14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Kit Laulilii
16. Latu Fainu
17. Jordan Miller
Not in squad: Solomone Saukuru, Jayden Sullivan, Heamasi Makasini, Starford To'a
The Tigers have an impressive number of players out of their own pathways, as well as those who have been signed from elsewhere, who will be pushing for first-grade spots, or have already locked them down, in the coming years.
The best of them are the Laulilii brothers Luke and Kit, the Fainu brothers Samuela and Latu, Lachlan Galvin, Jahream Bula and Tallyn Da Silva, while they still have contract calls to make on Josh Feledy, Justin Matamua, Fonua Bole, Tony Sukkar and Brandon Tumeth for 2026 and beyond.
It's an impressive group that the Tigers can build their nucleus around in the years to come without a doubt, but it also leaves questions around experience.
The signing of Jarome Luai out of the Penrith Panthers system for 2025 will help, but with David Klemmer unlikely to be retained, John Bateman reportedly looking at a move far sooner than 2025 and Adam Doueihi unable to stay on the park, they will need to hit the recruitment market for a handful of key, but experienced, players.
When it comes to experience in the middle third to replace David Klemmer, the Tigers could do a lot worse than look in the direction of Christian Welch.
The Melbourne prop, off-contract at the end of 2025, has been nothing short of the ultimate professional during his time at the Storm.
A former Queensland representative player, he is the exact sort of player that any club in the midst of a full-scale rebuild would love to have.
Defensively, he is rock solid, and he does his job and then some in attack. While that all comes with the caveat of being in a successful Storm system, Welch would succeed anywhere.
The Tigers certainly have the cash to tempt him north.
Another experienced forward, Tyson Frizell might be closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but the former State of Origin and international player is still among the most important players at the Knights.
He also tried his hand playing in the middle third at the end of the 2024 campaign for Adam O'Brien's side, but it's on the edge where he has made his home over a glittering career.
His influence on a number of the young players around the Tigers would be a major boost for the struggling joint-venture as they attempt to return to the finals.
The Tigers have been interested in the 33-year-old before, and it's clear he still has a couple of good years left in him. They could do far worse than follow through on a move like this.
Moving away from the forwards for a brief moment, and the Tigers one issue in the backline may well be the centres.
Justin Olam hasn't exactly come on in leaps and bounds since arriving at Tiger Town, and Lule Laulilii is an unknown quantity in the position, having played much of his rugby league to date at fullback.
Josh Feledy was always earmarked as the long-term local junior to play in the centres, but hasn't kicked on, while other options are also in the basket of ‘will they or won't they'.
So the Tigers could well use some of their cash reserve to chase Kotoni Staggs. Off-contract at the Broncos where a salary cap crunch looks set to drive at least one of Staggs or Selwyn Cobbo out, the Wellington-born New South Wales representative is the type of player who improves everyone around him.
He is the sort of player, almost without a doubt, that the Tigers need too.
Back-row depth issues are a major sticking point for the Tigers heading into 2026.
If Bateman leaves the club - and it seems more and more likely by the day - then they are going to be left with little.
We have already explored Tyson Frizell as an option, but another potentially experienced, leader type player off-contract at the end of the 2025 NRL campaign is Raymond Faitala-Mariner at the Dragons.
While his exit from the Bulldogs came about in messy circumstances, he has always had plenty of potential.
Much of his career has been derailed by injury, but he was superb throughout 2024 for the Dragons in his first season with the new club. The Red V have been slow off the re-signing mark, and could pay the price with a number of players.
Don't be surprised if Faitala-Mariner is one of them.
When it comes to experienced players who set the standards, there are few better anywhere in the competition than Cameron McInnes.
The Sharks' lock forward, formerly at the Dragons, has been credited with much of the attitude turnaround at the Sharks under Craig Fitzgibbon.
He is the type of player who simply makes everyone around him better, and that is the type of player the Tigers need as they look to get out of this rut.
Defensively, he is among the best in the competition. His work rate is absolutely off the charts, and with Alex Twal currently the club's starting lock and precious little else, it's a move the Tigers should be weighing up seriously.